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If I could dive face first into this spicy bucatini carbonara, I would. This recipe has just a few ingredients like eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Calabrian chili, but it tastes like it came straight from an upscale Italian restaurant. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make! Pop a bottle of wine and invite some friends over for dinner. It’s pasta night!

A brown bowl of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan counter next to glasses of red wine and brown bowls of parmesan, red pepper flakes, and Calabrian chili.

Last weekend, we had some friends over for a little pasta night situation. I made a huge batch of carbonara, poured some wine, and we slurped noodles late into the night. And honestly? It was a perfect casual night at home with friends. Completely elite, imo.

Pasta is forever my go-to dinner party staple. Not just because everyone loves pasta (duh) but also because all you have to do is whip up a batch of pesto stuffed garlic bread and a simple green salad with sherry shallot dressing and you have a super easy but elegant dinner for guests.

And if you need a little pasta recipe to inspire your next get together, you definitely need to know about this carbonara! Here’s a few highlights.

  • This recipe is inspired by traditional carbonara but has a bit of heat thanks to Calabrian chili.
  • The pasta is spicy, cheesy and uber creamy but has absolutely no cream in it. (More on this later!)
  • You can make a big batch for a dinner party or a small batch for date night at home.
  • The carbonara comes together in less than 20 minutes. Truly so easy!

Two key ingredients

Bucatini on a tan counter.
A brown bowl and jar of Calabrian peppers on a tan counter.

For this recipe, you’ll need a couple of special ingredients – bucatini and Calabrian peppers. I originally started using these ingredients when I was in culinary school, and they’ve been a staple in my kitchen ever since. But don’t worry, neither of them are hard to find!

Bucatini pasta

If you haven’t jumped on the bucatini train yet, it’s definitely time. Bucatini is like spaghetti but it’s thicker and has a little secret! This pasta has a hole running through the center so it’s like a long tube. The hollow center picks up a ton of creamy, cheesy sauce for the most flavor!

Bronze cut pasta

If you can find it, bronze-cut bucatini is 100% the way to go. Bronze is sticky, so when the pasta is pushed through the mold, it comes out with a rougher, coarser texture. That texture is key for soaking up the most amount of sauce.

Calabrian chilis

Calabrian chilis come from Southern Italy, notably, Calabria. (Who would’ve thought, right?) These chilis have a nice spice that is definitely present but not overwhelming. But the peppers are also a bit smoky and have a lovely fruity flavor.

To make this recipe, you will want Calabrian chili paste or chopped peppers in a jar. I’ve found them at Whole Foods, Safeway, World Market, and other well-stocked grocery stores in the olive & pickle aisle.

Other ingredients & substitutions

A pot of pasta next to brown bowls of pancetta, eggs, salt, pepper, chilis, and parmesan, on a tan counter.
  • Bucatini – if you can’t find bucatini, spaghetti, rigatoni, or calamarata work great!
  • Pork – guanciale is traditional in carbonara, but I find that pancetta is much easier to find. I’ve even tested this recipe with thick-cut bacon and had good luck. Use whatever you can find!
  • Eggs – for that rich and creamy sauce, you will need 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg. The fat in the egg yolks is key for the right texture!
  • Pecorino Romano – this is the most common cheese used in carbonara but you can also use parmesan. Just make sure it’s freshly-grated! Pre-grated cheese has additives that will clump up the sauce.
  • Calabrian chili – to be honest, there isn’t a great substitute for Calabrian chili. If you can’t find it in the grocery store, try ordering it online instead!
  • Salt & pepper – you will want Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. I personally use Morton’s Kosher salt!
  • Red pepper flakes – for extra spice and a pretty garnish at the end.

Let’s make this pasta

A white pot of pancetta on a tan counter next to white and brown bowls of parmesan, chilis, eggs, salt, and pepper.

Crisp up the pork

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. No need to add oil – the pork has plenty of fat on its own!
  2. Add the pork to the hot pan and sauté it until it’s gorgeous and crispy.
  3. Now, and this is very important (!), remove the pan from the heat and let it cool until it’s warm but not hot.
Two steps to boiling pasta. In photo 1, spaghetti is in a white pot of water on a tan counter next to brown bowls of parmesan, egg yolks, and chilis. In photo 2, a hand is using a. mug to scoop water from the pot.

Boil the pasta

  1. While the pork is cooking, bring the water to a rapid boil and add a whole lot of salt. You want it to be as salty as the sea!
  2. Then, add the bucatini and boil it just until it’s al dente.
  3. Before you drain the pasta, make sure to save some of the pasta water. Don’t skip this step, it’s essential! Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Three steps to making carbonara sauce. In photo 1, a white bowl has eggs, cheese, chilis, and pepper on a tan counter next to brown bowls of pepper, cheese, and pasta. In photo 2, a hand is whisking the sauce. In photo 3, a hand is using a spoon to pour oil into the sauce.

Whisk the sauce

  1. First, add the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, Calabrian chilis, and lots of black pepper to a medium bowl.
  2. Whisk the mixture until everything is smooth and there are no streaks of egg.
  3. Then, whisk a bit of the hot pork grease into the egg mixture (like 2 Tablespoons or so). This will temper the eggs a bit and help make the sauce nice and glossy!
A white pot of bucatini with sauce is on a tan counter next to brown bowls of salt, pepper, cheese, and chilis.
A white pot of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan counter next to brown bowls of cheese, chilis, salt, and pepper.

Stir up the pasta

  1. Once the skillet is warm but not hot, add the bucatini to the pancetta.
  2. Then, add the egg mixture and a splash of the starchy pasta water you saved earlier.
  3. Stir the pasta quickly until the sauce is glossy and the consistency of heavy cream. Garnish with a pinch of red pepper flakes, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper and enjoy!

Cook the pasta off heat

The secret to amazing carbonara is to mix the pasta and sauce together off of the heat. If the pan is too hot, the egg mixture will scramble. You want the skillet to be warm to the touch – it shouldn’t burn you when you touch it. And don’t worry about the raw eggs. The residual heat from the pan and pasta will turn the eggs into a gorgeous, glossy sauce!

No cream needed

Some carbonara recipes call for cream, but it’s definitely not authentic! (Some purists will probably even say that it’s not even carbonara lol). The secret to the creamy sauce is the mixture of rich egg yolks, pork fat, melty cheese, and a splash of starchy pasta water.

Together, these ingredients meld together and create a sauce that is perfectly silky. As long as you’re mixing everything together in a warm pan, the sauce should come out nice and creamy, never clumpy.

Sauce consistency

If your sauce is a little too thick, add another splash of pasta water. Just a bit, you don’t want the sauce to be watery! It should coat the pasta and be the consistency of heavy cream.

Two brown bowls of spicy carbonara on a tan counter next to glasses of red wine and brown bowls of chilis, salt, and pepper.

Carbonara tips!

  • Bring the eggs to room temperature before separating them for a super smooth sauce. If you forget to this step, just place your eggs in some warm (not hot!) water for 10-15 minutes.
  • Don’t add salt to the sauce when you’re whisking it up. Between the pork fat, pasta water, and cheese, the sauce is usually plenty salty on its own. You can always add salt at the end if needed!
  • Toss the pasta together quickly so the sauce melds together with the pork fat and starchy water. If it’s not mixing together well with a wood spoon, try tongs instead.
  • If the sauce is too thin, place the pot on the stove over the lowest heat possible. Stir the pasta constantly until the sauce thickens up a bit.

Side dishes

Like I said earlier, this carbonara is amazing for an intimate dinner party, holidays, or date night at home. It’s usually served as a main meal but I also like serving it as a side dish with reverse sear filet mignon or smoked tri-tip.

For side dishes, my go-to is garlic bread and green salad. But this pasta would also be delicious with garlic butter dinner rolls, lemony green beans, charred broccoli, or kale Caesar salad.

Brown bowls of spicy bucatini alla carbonara on a tan counter next to white and brown bowls of chilis, pepper, and parmesan.

Refrigerating leftovers

Carbonara is definitely one of those recipes that is best fresh. The sauce gets a bit lumpy in the fridge and congeals as it sits. But, I totally understand that leftovers are a thing and I’m not about wasting food. So if you do have leftovers, just place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days!

Also, this recipe is definitely, 100% not freezer friendly. Unless you like soggy, lumpy pasta which is a no from me.

Reheating tips

Again, carbonara is never as good reheated as it is fresh. So the way you reheat it makes a difference! Of course, you can always microwave the pasta with a splash of water for 1-2 minutes if you’re bringing it to work or something. The pasta will just be a bit dry.

But the way I like to reheat carbonara is to refrigerate some of the extra starchy pasta water. Then, place the carbonara in a pan with a splash of the water – just enough to moisten the pasta. Cook it over very low heat, stirring often, until the pasta hot and creamy. Just don’t cook it too long or the bucatini will overcook!

A skillet of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan background next to glasses of red wine and brown bowls of salt, pepper, chilis, and cheese.

More dinner party pastas to try!

Creamy Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Braised Pork Ragù with Gnocchi
Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Orzo Skillet
White Lasagna with Pesto
Creamy Lemon Pasta with Pine Nuts
Cacio e Pepe with Fried Shallots

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The Creamiest Spicy Bucatini Carbonara

Yield: 4 big servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
If I could dive face first into this spicy bucatini carbonara, I would. This recipe has just a few ingredients like eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Calabrian chili, but it tastes like it came straight from an upscale Italian restaurant. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make! Pop a bottle of wine and invite some friends over for dinner. It's pasta night!
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces guanciale or pancetta, diced (226 grams)
  • 1 pound bucatini (454 grams)
  • 4 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 whole egg, room temperature
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving (100 grams)
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Calabrian chilis or paste (30 grams)
  • Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • Red pepper flakes, for serving

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the guanciale or pancetta and cook the pork, stirring every once in a while until it's crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool until the skillet is warm to the touch.
  • Next, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. It should be as salty as the sea. Cook the bucatini according to the package directions, stirring occasionally, just until it's al dente. Once the pasta is al dente, use a mug or heat-proof liquid measuring cup to reserve at least 1 cup (240 milliliters) of the starchy pasta water. Then, drain the pasta.
  • While the pasta is boiling, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, Calabrian chili, and a generous amount of black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then, spoon about 2 Tablespoons of the rendered pork fat into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs.
  • Once the pasta is finished cooking, add it to the skillet with the pork. (At this point, the skillet should be warm but not hot. If the skillet is hot, mix the pasta in a bowl instead.) Add the egg mixture along with about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir the pasta quickly and constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce is smooth and the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Taste the pasta and add more salt if needed. Garnish the carbonara with red pepper flakes, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Calabrian chilis usually come chopped in a jar or as a paste. I use the chopped chilis and slice them even finer for a smoother texture.
If you’re sensitive to spice, you can always add 1 Tablespoon of chilis and add more to taste. Or, feel free to add more if you like things extra spicy. The spice level can differ from brand-to-brand so adjust according to what you like!
Bring the eggs to room temperature before separating them for a super smooth sauce. If you forget to this step, just place your eggs in some warm (not hot!) water for 10-15 minutes.
Feel free to use spaghetti and Parmesan instead of bucatini and Pecorino Romano. Or, try a mix of Parmesan & Pecorino!
Don’t add salt to the sauce when you’re whisking it up. Between the pork fat, pasta water, and cheese, the sauce is usually plenty salty on its own. You can always add salt at the end if needed!
Toss the pasta together quickly so the sauce melds together with the pork fat and starchy water. If it’s not mixing together well with a wood spoon, try tongs instead.
If the sauce is too thin, place the pot on the stove over the lowest heat possible. Stir the pasta constantly until the sauce thickens up a bit.
This recipe can be doubled for a crowd. Or, halve the recipe for two!
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Main Course
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 434kcal, Carbohydrates: 35.3g, Protein: 22.8g, Fat: 20.8g, Saturated Fat: 11.2g, Cholesterol: 309mg, Sodium: 636mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1.8g, Calcium: 286mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @sundaytable.co on Instagram!

xo Sara Lynn

Song of the day – Baby’s Arms by Kurt Vile & The Sadies

Originally posted on February 17, 2021.